Thursday, January 23, 2014

Bama’s Kevin Norwood showing NFL scouts what we already knew

For the first time in years Kevin Norwood caught meaningful passes from a quarterback not named AJ McCarron.

The pair will always be linked together, but with McCarron choosing not to participate in the Senior Bowl in order to recoup from the regular season, it leaves Norwood catching passes from other quarterbacks this week. Norwood and McCarron will workout together at D1 Sports Training facility in Jackson, Miss to help prepare for the NFL Draft, but this week he's working with Fresno State's Derek Carr, Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppalo and San Jose State's David Fales under the direction of the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff at this week's Senior Bowl.

"It's not really that different," Norwood said. "Everything's pretty much the same just different terminology."

His size, he measured in at 6-foot-2, 197 pounds Monday morning, is a major asset and scouts praised his hands through the first two practices.

"He's got a chance to be a nice move-the-chains receiver," one NFC scout said. "He runs good routes and he catches what's thrown at him. He's fundamentally solid." -

A lot of pundits believe that Norwood had the best hands on the Alabama team since Julio Jones racked up yardage, first downs and touchdowns during his all too brief stay at Tuscaloosa. His prototype measurables, great hands and route-running skills are sure to impress pro scouts during Senior Bowl workouts, Alabama Pro Day and the upcoming NFL Combine.

Expect to see Norwood as someone who will have improved his stock after these workouts, and the likelihood of a big Sunday paycheck next year can only go higher.